London Gigs

Iconoclastic Italian guitarist Enzo Rocco shows his eclectic side for this live series of duets recorded in London, England. Performed over a series of four nights at a few different venues, the six selections feature Rocco with four different freestyle Englishmen: soprano saxophonist Lol Coxhill, drummer Steve Noble, drummer John Edwards, and pianist Veryan Weston. The guitarist's choice of partners is revealing; each is a superb individualist, not fitting any predetermined mold. Rocco adjusts nicely to the different styles, the quiet, abstractions of Weston being among the more interesting. Rocco is one of those few postmodern guitarists who combines the almost random aesthetics of Derek Bailey with the jazz skills of a Joe Morris — although Rocco is not as strong a player as either. Highlights include the two Coxhill cuts, although the two players sometimes seem to be playing alongside, rather than with one another. Elsewhere, there are solid, sometimes fascinating, if not always extraordinary, excursions into unexplored worlds.